Statistics

Statistics is always cited everywhere and it's always use to justify certain decision. Nevertheless, little did people realize the ease of which statistics can be used to "manipulate" or "design" the result portrayed to the public.

For an example, government tends to talk about the reduction of unemployment rate. However, I see more and more unfortunate people selling tissue paper and even plain begging, everywhere including in Orchard. My question to the statistical data posted by government is:
1. Does employment include those working part time?
2. Does employment include those working once in a month?
3. Does employment exclude those considered unwell to work (for whatever reason, including having one hand)? Or does a person including one hand but having a work is considered in the base but those without a work is excluded from the base?
4. Does employment include those proclaiming self-employed although they are without income? i.e. people who is without job, trying to be an insurance agent, jumping into the field and get out in 3 months. Is the person who quit jobs after the next 3 months is considered as having a job?

There are tonnes of ways to calculate many things. It really depends on the analyst to spin his/ her own side of story. Beware with whatever you read. I'd tend to think that we can formulate our own decision by our own perception on our own limited base. After all, we are in the population.

Yet, we tend to forget that even ourselves can make a difference. Whether our decision is for the better or for the worse, it all rests upon ourselves.